Jenni Rivera was bigger than banda music

Updated 9:14 am, Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Photo: Reed Saxon, Associated Press

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In this picture taken March 8, 2012, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera was found in northern Mexico on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, and there are no apparent survivors, authorities said.

In this picture taken March 8, 2012, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American

Jenni Rivera's driving license is seen of the ground at the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a the small plane believed to be carrying Jenni Rivera, the U.S-born singer whose soulful voice and unfettered discussion of a series of personal travails made her a Mexican-American superstar, was found in northern Mexico on Sunday. Authorities said there were no survivors.

Jenni Rivera's driving license is seen of the ground at the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a the small plane believed to

A temporary airman's certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sits on the ground at the crash site where a plane carrying U.S. born singer Jenni Rivera apparently crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Rivera, the singer whose soulful voice and unfettered discussion of a series of personal travails made her a Mexican-American superstar, was found in northern Mexico on Sunday. Authorities said there were no survivors.

A temporary airman's certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sits on the ground at the crash site where a plane carrying U.S. born singer Jenni Rivera apparently crashed near Iturbide,

Rescue teams return from the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying U.S-born singer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Jenni Rivera, the U.S-born singer whose soulful voice and unfettered discussion of a series of personal travails made her a Mexican-American superstar, was found in northern Mexico on Sunday. Authorities said there were no survivors.

Rescue teams return from the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying U.S-born singer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying

Federal police officers return from the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying U.S-born singer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Jenni Rivera, the U.S-born singer whose soulful voice and unfettered discussion of a series of personal travails made her a Mexican-American superstar, was found in northern Mexico on Sunday. Authorities said there were no survivors.

Federal police officers return from the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying U.S-born singer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be

A view of the terrain Mountains of the Sierra near the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying U.S-born singer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Jenni Rivera, the U.S-born singer whose soulful voice and unfettered discussion of a series of personal travails made her a Mexican-American superstar, was found in northern Mexico on Sunday. Authorities said there were no survivors.

A view of the terrain Mountains of the Sierra near the crash site where a plane allegedly carrying U.S-born singer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico Sunday Dec. 12, 2012. The wreckage of a small plane

People watch Mexican singer Jenni Rivera under heavy rain on a giant TV screen during the traditional "El Grito," or shout, to kick off Independence Day celebrations at the Zocalo in Mexico City, late Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. Mexico is marking the 202st anniversary of the "Grito de Dolores," honoring the call to arms made by the priest Miguel Hidalgo in 1810 that began the struggle for independence from Spain, achieved in 1821.

In this Aug. 21, 2012, file photo, singer and singing coach Jenni Rivera speaks during a press conference promoting the second season of reality show, "La Voz Mexico" in Mexico City.

In this Aug. 21, 2012, file photo, singer and singing coach Jenni Rivera speaks during a press conference promoting the second season of reality show, "La Voz Mexico" in Mexico City.

Photo: Eduardo Verdugo, Associated Press

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In this April 26, 2012, file photo, singing superstar Jenni Rivera performs during the Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables, Fla. Authorities in Mexico say the wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Rivera has been found on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, and there are no apparent survivors.

In this April 26, 2012, file photo, singing superstar Jenni Rivera performs during the Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables, Fla. Authorities in Mexico say the wreckage of a small plane believed to be

In this April 26, 2012, file photo, Singer Jenni Rivera, center, is kissed by singers Nacho, left, and Chino, right, as they walk the red carpet at the Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables, Fla.

In this April 26, 2012, file photo, Singer Jenni Rivera, center, is kissed by singers Nacho, left, and Chino, right, as they walk the red carpet at the Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables, Fla.

Photo: Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press

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This April 25, 2012 photo released by Telemundo shows Latin singer Jenni Rivera rehearsing for the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Awards, at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera was found in northern Mexico on Sunday and there are no apparent survivors, authorities said.

This April 25, 2012 photo released by Telemundo shows Latin singer Jenni Rivera rehearsing for the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Awards, at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla. The wreckage of a small

This April 25, 2012 photo released by Telemundo shows Latin singer Jenni Rivera rehearsing for the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Awards, at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

This April 25, 2012 photo released by Telemundo shows Latin singer Jenni Rivera rehearsing for the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Awards, at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

Photo: Gary I Rothstein, Associated Press

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In this March 8, 2012, file photo, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. Mexican authorities confirmed that the plane in which Rivera was traveling disappeared early Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, after leaving the Mexican northern city of Monterrey where she performed in concert on Saturday night.

In this March 8, 2012, file photo, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. Mexican authorities confirmed that the plane in which Rivera was traveling

In this picture taken March 8, 2012, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera was found in northern Mexico on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, and there are no apparent survivors, authorities said.

In this picture taken March 8, 2012, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American

In this picture taken March 8, 2012, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera was found in northern Mexico on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, and there are no apparent survivors, authorities said.

In this picture taken March 8, 2012, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American

In this Jan. 22, 2012, file photo, Jenni Rivera, from the film "Filly Brown," poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

In this Jan. 22, 2012, file photo, Jenni Rivera, from the film "Filly Brown," poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Photo: Victoria Will, Associated Press

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In this July 1, 2011 file photo, singer Jenni Rivera, right, poses with a replica of a star for the Las Vegas Walk of Stars as her husband, former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza, reacts during an official presentation ceremony in Las Vegas.

In this July 1, 2011 file photo, singer Jenni Rivera, right, poses with a replica of a star for the Las Vegas Walk of Stars as her husband, former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza, reacts during an

File picture taken on June 14, 2011, of Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera (R), walking with her then boyfriend, baseball player Esteba Loaiza. Rivera died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 close to Iturbide, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. The wreckage of a plane carrying star Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera has been found in northern Mexico and there were no survivors, officials said. The Lear Jet was flying from south from Monterrey to Toluca, in the center of the country and was carrying six other people besides the singer, said Antonio Gonzalez, mayor of the town of Iturbide, near the crash site.

File picture taken on June 14, 2011, of Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera (R), walking with her then boyfriend, baseball player Esteba Loaiza. Rivera died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 close to

File picture taken on June 14, 2011, of Mexican-American singer Jenni Riverawho died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 close to Iturbide, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. The wreckage of a plane carrying star Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera has been found in northern Mexico and there were no survivors, officials said. The Lear Jet was flying from south from Monterrey to Toluca, in the center of the country and was carrying six other people besides the singer, said Antonio Gonzalez, mayor of the town of Iturbide, near the crash site.

File picture taken on June 14, 2011, of Mexican-American singer Jenni Riverawho died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 close to Iturbide, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. The wreckage of a plane carrying star

Undated file picture of Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera, who died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 close to Iturbide, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. The wreckage of a plane carrying star Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera has been found in northern Mexico and there were no survivors, officials said. The Lear Jet was flying from south from Monterrey to Toluca, in the center of the country and was carrying six other people besides the singer, said Antonio Gonzalez, mayor of the town of Iturbide, near the crash site.

Undated file picture of Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera, who died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 close to Iturbide, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. The wreckage of a plane carrying star Mexican-American

Jacqueline Rivera, center, daughter of singer Jenni Rivera, is swarmed by media as she arrives at her grandmother's home in Lakewood, Calif. Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Jenni Rivera died Sunday in a plane crash in Mexico. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Jacqueline Rivera, center, daughter of singer Jenni Rivera, is swarmed by media as she arrives at her grandmother's home in Lakewood, Calif. Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Jenni Rivera died Sunday in a plane crash in

Jenni Rivera fans Michelle Alonzo (L) and her neice Gaby Juarez grieve at a memorial of flowers, candles, ballons and notes to the late Mexican-American singing superstar Jenni Rivera, December 10, 2012 in Burbank, California. Rescue workers searched Monday the wreckage of a plane that carried Rivera, a star on both sides of the border, whose death shocked Latin music fans and celebrities. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECKROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Jenni Rivera fans Michelle Alonzo (L) and her neice Gaby Juarez grieve at a memorial of flowers, candles, ballons and notes to the late Mexican-American singing superstar Jenni Rivera, December 10, 2012 in

She was the undisputed queen of banda, the upbeat synth- and tuba-driven music first popularized in Mexico and now dominating much of the American Latin music scene.

“If you ask your run-of-the-mill Latino who Tammy Wynette is, they're going to be like, ‘Huh?' Same thing if you ask your run-of-the-mill American who Jenni Rivera is; they're not going to know. But in their respective worlds, she was as big,” Billboard's Latin music editor Leila Cobo said.

“I don't think it has anything to do with Selena. It has the same impact because they were both Mexican American artists who represented a U.S.-born-and-raised Mexican American family. They represented their audiences. They were their fans.”

Rivera was a mother of five and a grandmother of two. She was married three times. According to E! News, she was seeking a divorce from former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza.

Like country stars Wynette and Tanya Tucker, Rivera's life came with enough drama to inform the lyrics she sang, as well as the TV show that endeared her to so many.

One example: Rivera's “La Sopa de Bebe,” a revenge song aimed at her second husband.

“I found out that he was cheating, and I was going through hell. Just being cheated on by the person that you love can destroy you if you let it,” Rivera told the San Antonio Express-News in 2007. “He was out there. ... getting all the girls and stuff, and I was working hard, being a real-estate agent, being a housewife and a mother. So ‘La Sopa de Bebe' is kind of like the I-got-you-back song. I got you back, but you never found out.”

Rivera was ambitious, but she had not quite crossed over into the U.S. market.

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mySA.com: Watch videos and see a slideshow of Jenni Rivera performing.

Her albums sales have been reported at upwards of 15 million in the Latin American market, a figure that's difficult to verify, according to a Billboard expert. In the United States, she sold 1.2 million albums in her almost 20-year career, according to Nielsen Soundscan and Billboard.

If a recent sitcom deal with ABC had come to fruition, Rivera, who grew up in Long Beach, Calif., might have become a bona fide TV star like Reba McEntire or George Lopez. Certainly, she was a rare example of female empowerment in the male-dominated Latin music world.

Her stature in that world was not in doubt. She won Female Artist of the Year and Banda Album of the Year awards at this year's Billboard Mexican Music Awards.

“She was very well known in the Hispanic world and in mariachi,” Muñoz said. “She was probably the biggest female artist known. Her songs were so meaningful and so impactful for Hispanic women. In a way, she empowered Hispanic women.”

Longtime music publicist Norma Duran praised Rivera as an articulate, ambitious “marketing guru” and role model in a male-dominated business.

“She was never ashamed of anything that came her way,” Duran said. “Every difficulty she encountered in her personal life, she shared it with her fans to face what many Latinos and Latinas hide.”

Latin Grammy-winner Elida Reyna thought of Cline and Holly, not Selena, when she heard the news.

“That was the first thing that came to mind, another legend perished in a plane crash,” Reyna said.

The Tejano singer and mother of three children said she doesn't like banda music but admired how Rivera managed motherhood. She occasionally watched “I Love Jenni” and followed her on Facebook because she was drawn to her big personality.

“She was very strong, very outspoken. But I admired her strong will,” Reyna said.

“I know how much she loved her kids. She always talked about her kids, and she always praised them. I can relate to that. It's hard to leave them behind. Every time I leave the house, I always have that fear that I may not come home. I think that every time I walk out the door.”